Safety trolley-alarm.



I No. 743,272. V PATENTBD NOV. 3, 1903.

W. M. GRUNBR & W. 0. PINK. I SAFETY TROLLEY ALARM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14. 1903 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

\ Qumhm ufluuuuufl HH H HHI Illlllllllllilu lulllllnlllfllllllWITNESS-E81 uvvlslvrofia ATTORNEYS No. 743,272. PATENTED NOV. 3, 1903.

W. M. GRUNBR & W. 0. PINK. SAFETY TROLLEY ALARM.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 14, 1903. N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A 770/?NE rs UNITED STATES iatented November 3, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. GRUNER AND WILLIAM C. FINK, OF SPRINGDALE,

' PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY TROLLEY-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,272, dated November3, 1903.

Application filed September 14, 1903. Serial No. 173,100. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that we, WILLIAM M. GRUNER and WILLIAM C. FINK, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Springdale, in the county of Alleghenyand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved SafetyTrolley- Alarm, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to safety trolleyalarms, an alarm on the caradapted to be sounded upon jumping of the trolley from theconductor-wire or breaking of the trolleysheave through special devicesor instrumentalities employing a local circuit witha specialcircuit-closer, the circuit-closer being adapted in its operation tosimultaneously through a special subtrolley complete or restore themotor-circuit from the conductorwire down through the car to. ground orwill be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view illustrating our invention in use.Fig. 2'is an enlarged detail view showing the main and sub trolleys innormal Working position. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the maintrolley-head removed, showing the subtrolley in use; and Fig. 4 is adetail view looking in the direction of the arrow, showing the main andsub trolley heads in normal position.

In the embodiment of our invention we employ, with the ordinary trolleyof a motor-car, a subtrolley normally out of action, a localbell-circuit on the car, and special means 0porating to close the localbell-circuit and simultaneously recomplete the motor-circuit uponimpairment of the main-trolley sheave or jumping thereof from theconductor-wire.

In the drawings, A denotes any type of motor-car carrying wires B, bellsC, and any suitable source of energy D. r

The main-trolley pole E is provided with any suitable head F, adaptedfor ready detachment, carrying the collector-sheave G.

-H denotes a subtrolley-pole, having at its upper end any suitabledevice adapted to catch the conductor-wire upon impairment of'the maincollector'sheave G or jumping action thereof from the conductor-wire. Inour drawings we have shown one form of catching device, consisting of anelongated grooved roller I, which is normally out of contact with theconductor-wire. It will be noticed that when the main collector-sheave Gis in position against the conductor-wire the roller I is supported byits arm H free of the conductorwire, but in position with the side edges1' of its groove in line or slightly above the conductor-wire. Thesubtrolley-pole H has pivotal connection with any suitable bracket J,secured to the main-trolley pole E, and is yieldingly supported by meansof an arm K, pivoted thereto at K. The arm K extends through an openingor suitable keeper in the main-trolley pole and has a spring L thereon,arranged between any suitable head L and the pole E, as shown. Asuitable sleeve or collar M is arranged on the arm K between the poles Eand H. This sleeve or collar is designed to preserve the relative normalposition of the collecting-sheave G when in contact with theconductor-wire and the catch deviceor roller I when out of collectingcontact, but in position with its side edges 1 supported in line orslightly above the conductor-wire, thereby insuring its proper workingor catching'the conductor-wire upon impairment of the sheave G. Thelower end of the subtrolley-arm H below its pivotal connection isprovided with a double contact N, consisting of a projectingconducting-surface O and an insulated surface P. The conductive surface0 when, in closed position with any suitable contact Q will complete themotorcircuit from the catch device I when the latter is against theconductor-wire down the main-trolley pole. At the same time theinsulated surface P will force together any suitable normally openterminals R of the bellcircuit.

Our invention will be understood from the above description. We wouldhave it understood that we do not desire to be limited in its scope tothe identical devices shown and I described. We believe it is new withus in similar inventions to provide means consisting of a subtrolleyhaving at one end any form of device serving to catch the conductor-wireupon jumping action therefrom of the main collector-sheave and with thesupport of the catching device operating to close a local circuit on thecar, whereby an alarm is sounded, the catch-device support being alsoadapted for simultaneously closing the motor-circuit from theconductor-wire to and through the motor on the car.

According to our invention the subtrolley is so arranged that the momentthe collector or regular trolley leaves the conductor-wire it willimmediatly come into action, restoring the mot-or circuit, and therebypreventing the car from getting beyond control of the operator. It willbe noticed that an alarm is sounded at both ends of the car, no-

tifying the motorman and conductor that they are not running on the mainor collector trolley, whereby they can at their early convenience stopthe car and readjust or remove the main trolley if its sheave or head bebroken: The yielding support for the subtrolley makes it as substantialas the main trolley.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the main trolley of a motor-car, of acondnctor-wire-catching device carried by the main-trolley support, alocal alarm-circuit on the car, and means operating, upon contact of thesaid catching device, with the conductor-wire, to restore themotor-circuit and simultaneously close the said local alarm-circuit,substantially as described.

2. The combination with the main trolley of a motor-car, of asubtrolley, an alarm-circuit on the car, means on the main trolleyconsisting of two circuit-closers, one thereof in the motor-circuit andthe other in the alarmcircuit, the said circuit-closers being operatedupon contact of the subtrolley With the conductor-wire.

3. In combination with a motor-car having main and subtrolley arms, andwith the subtrolley yieldingly supported andout of action, of abell-circuit on the car, and two normally open circuit-closers inoperative position with the said subtrolley-arm, whereby, upon yieldingaction of the said subtrolley,- as when in contact with theconductor-wire, both the said circuit-closers will be operated, onecompleting the motor-circuitand the other the bell-circuit,substantially as described.

4. In combination with a motor-car having main and sub trolleys and alocal alarm-circuit on the car, of motor-circuit and alarmcircuitcontacts on the main trolley, 'and a double contact on the subtrolleyadapted in operation for closing the motor-circuit and also the saidalarm-circuit, the said motorcircuit and alarm-circuit contacts beinginsulated, substantially as described.

WILLIAM M. GRUNER. WILLIAM C. FINK.

Witnesses:

S. O. BENNINGER, PAULINE R. CURTIS.

